We want to leave Paris by train, arrive in either Rouen or Caen and rent a car for three days, then get to London via Eurostar. While in GB we want train aailability out of London to Bath and other cities, flexible! What would be our best train pass options?
Posted by
Reston, Virginia
403 posts
Marilee: I'm not sure a railpass is really the way to go. It is quite easy to buy tickets on the internet, and advance tickets are quite cheap compared to passes. Even day-of-travel tickets may not be as expensive as passes...Lee or Tim or one of the experts here can advise you on this. Remember, you will have to backtrack to Paris to go on the Eurostar (unless you plan to drive to Lille, Calais, or Brussels before droipping the car). If you could provide a more detailed itinerary plan, the posters here could provide a more thoughtful answer. Will you have hotel reservations in advance or are you just winging it? If hotel reservations, that will determine your train/car schedule. If you are winging it, well....you are more brave than I am.
Posted by
OP
Fresno
8 posts
Virginia I agree - after further checking online - that returning to Paris via train out of (probably Rouen)then Eurostar to London is the only way to go. We do have reservations in Bayeux for three nights and plan to get a car in Rouen (and return to same). We want visit Honfluer and just a"meander" after seeing DDay Beaches and Mont St Michel. Any other suggestions for our "meander-ings"? Should we just purchase our RT tickets in advance for this leg as well as for th Eurostar and then wait till London to purchase tickets for travel within GB? We have booked the Aster House B&B for 7 nights but plan to take day trips outside of the City and perhaps cut short our stay at Aster House when we head to Bath. We depart Heathrow on Octobe 14th and had planned to check out of Aster House morning of and take the Heathrow Wexpress train, I believe out of Paddington Station?
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1265 posts
Marilee - You can use www.eastcoast.co.uk to check fares and time tables for train travel in the UK. Same day return to Bath for two can be as low as £58.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32809 posts
www.nationalrail.co.uk has singles Paddington to Bath or return for as low as £9.50 or £12.00, FWIW
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You wouldn't necessarily have to return to Paris to get to London on the Eurostar. There are five departures/day for Lille-London. There are two departures/day for Calais-London on weekdays and Sundays, and three/day on Saturdays. To get the lowest fare, book ASAP at www.eurostar.com. If you want flexibility, the best pass for your London day trips might be the BritRail London Plus Pass. It includes two trips on the Heathrow Express. See here: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/greatbritain.htm. As Joel and Nigel have said, if you can commit well in advance to specific departure dates and times, point-to-point tickets probably will be cheaper than a pass, especially if you take the Tube between Heathrow and London.